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Apostille for Latvia from MEA

Latvia is a member of the Hague Nation and Apostille is enough to prove that the Document is Genuine

  • UPDATED A MONTH AGO

Latvia, officially the republic of Latvia,  joined the Hague apostille convention which abolished the requirement for legalization of foreign documents on May 11, 1995. The process of authentication of foreign documents became simpler after the country joined the Hague convention. Thus, an apostille for Latvia obtained from MEA India is the only requirement for Indians to legalize their documents in Latvia.

4 Simple steps to get MEA Apostille on your Documents 

  1. Register on Apostille Portal 
  2. Collect all  Documents you want to Apostille 
  3. Submit the Original / Photocopies of documents
  4. Receive Documents with Apostille Directly to your home
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What is an Apostille?

An apostille is a certificate issued by a designated authority to authenticate the origin of a document. The country issuing and accepting the documents must be Hague apostille country. This certification is issued after following multiple verifications at various levels. An apostille certificate/stamp thus issued will become a legally accepted valid document in any Hague country. Before, Hague convention, an embassy attestation was mandatory to legalize a foreign document, it was a time consuming process. However, Hague convention abolished this requirement and replaced it with a simpler certification known as apostille. 

India and Latvia are Hague apostille countries. Hence, when an Indian travels to Latvia for any purpose, they need to get an apostille on their personal, educational and commercial documents to legalize them. 

Not traveling to Latvia? Check if your destination is in the Hague Apostille Country List. 

Why Do You Need an Apostille for Latvia?

If you are submitting Indian documents for official use in Latvia, you need to get an apostille from the Ministry of External Affairs for use in Latvia. Following are the common reasons to get an apostille for Latvia: 

  • To get admission to Educational Institutions in Latvia
  • Work/Employment visa to Latvia
  • Business purposes such as expanding business, registering company or trading
  • Immigration& Residency including Citizenship and permanent residency
  • For an Indian citizen to marry in Latvia
  • For legal matters in Latvia such as property inheritance

List of Documents that Require an Apostille for Latvia

Documents that require an apostille from MEA India for use in Latvia may vary depending on your purpose of visit to Latvia. Moreover, your employer from Latvia, university from Latvia or Latvia embassy may specify the documents that need to be apostilled. 

However, for your reference given below are the list of documents that may need an apostille based on your interaction with Latvia:

  

Latvia Work Visa- Apostille Requirements

The growing economic ties between India and Latvia since 1992 also resulted in the increase in the number of Indians traveling to Latvia for work. As a gateway to Europe many Indians from IT and Medical professions migrate to Latvia. Your employer from Latvia may have provided a list of documents that need an apostille. However, if you need to prepare beforehand, given below are the documents that may need an apostille for an employment visa to Latvia:

Student Visa to Latvia- Apostille Requirements

Latvia has become an attractive destination for Indian students. Indian students prefer Latvia because of the affordable tuition fees and to experience European culture. Admission to universities in countries such as Latvia has been considered as an entry point to Europe. Your universities may specify the documents that need an apostille. However for you to prepare beforehand, let us explore the list of documents that usually require an apostille for Student visa:

Apostille to Apply for a PR in Latvia

For a permanent residency in Latvia, you may need to get an apostille for the following documents from MEA India:

  • Birth Certificate apostille – To confirm your name, date of birth, and place of birth
  • PCC apostille – To show no existing criminal records against your name
  • Medical certificate apostille, if applicable
  • Passport Apostille – To confirm Nationality
  • Marriage Certificate Apostille, if applying as a dependent or spouse.

Apostille for Latvia: Process

There are three methods to obtain an apostille from MEA India for Latvia in India. They are:

  1. State Verification Method for Latvia Apostille
  2. SDM Verification Method for Latvia Apostille
  3. Chamber of Commerce Verification Method for Latvia Apostille. – Only for Commercial Document

Let us explore each method in detail to know which one suits you best. 

State Verification Method To Get an Apostille for Latvia

State attestation method is generally used for obtaining an apostille for educational and personal documents. This is the most common and widely accepted method since some countries mandate state level verification for acceptance of apostille. It is a time consuming process because it requires verification of certificates at its origin, It involves too many government departments for approval 

Following are the steps involved in apostille for Latvia using State HRD/Home department verification:

  1. Notary Attestation
  2. State Department Attestation
  3. MEA Verification and Apostille

1.Notary Attestation

A public notary from your locality needs to verify the signature of the document. Then, the notary will attest the document for its authenticity. 

  1. State Department Attestation

In this step, the validity of the document and its signature will be verified by the state department.

In the case of a personal document the secretary of the district from where the document was issued will verify the document on behalf of the state home department. Finally, the state home department will attest the document with a sign and seal.  

In case of an educational certificate such as a degree certificate the state human resource department will conduct verification at the respective universities. Once, the signature on the document, mostly that of a vice chancellor, is verified HRD will attest the document. 

  1. MEA Verification and Apostille

Though, there are three established ways to obtain an apostille, MEA India alone can provide an apostille on your documents. After the verification steps are completed, your apostille service provider will submit your documents to the MEA. The ministry of external affairs will conduct a final verification and attest it with an apostille stamp. This stamp makes your document a legal and authentic document in Latvia.

SDM Authentication Method to Get an Apostille for Use in Latvia

SDM means sub divisional magistrate. This method of authentication is faster since it involves court. Unless your employer or Latvia embassy specifically mentions about receiving a state department attestation you can get an apostille faster through this method. Following are apostille steps included in SDM authentication method: 

  1. Notarization
  2. SDM Attestation
  3. MEA Apostille
  • Notarization

A public notary is a government official authorized by the government to verify and certify documents and signatures for their authenticity. This is the first step common to all methods of obtaining an apostille. In this step, the notary will verify the document and its signature. Subsequently, the notary will attest the document. 

  • SDM Attestation

SDM attestation is an alternative to state attestation The sub divisional magistrate will verify the authenticity of the document. Then SDM applies a signature and seal on the document. This document with an SDM attestation is as valid as a state attested document to move to MEA for an apostille. 

  • MEA Apostille

After SDM attestation your apostille service provider will submit your documents to the ministry of external affairs. The ministry places an apostille stamp on your document making it legal to use in Latvia and other Hague countries. 

Chamber of Commerce Attestation Method for Latvia Apostille

Chamber of commerce attestation is a mandatory step for most of the business or commercial documents before obtaining an apostille. 

Following are the situations when chamber of commerce attestation is needed: 

  • For business or commercial documents that need to be used in latvia
  • Export import related documents such as invoice and certificate of origin
  • When expanding business to Latvia, the documents related to companies such as board resolution.
  • Power of attorney authorizing someone to act on behalf of the company.

The steps involved in chamber of commerce attestation method for obtaining an apostille for Latvia are: 

  1. Notary attestation
  2. Chamber of commerce attestation
  3. MEA Attestation
  1. Notary Attestation

This is an optional step in the chamber of commerce method of apostille. If the commercial document is an affidavit or power of attorney, then notarization is a mandatory step. In this step a public notary will verify the document and attest it.

  1. Chamber of Commerce Attestation

This step is followed only for commercial documents. Chamber of commerce is a business organization with branches across the country. It acts as an intermediary between the government and business. The attestation by the chamber of commerce validates that the document is issued by a registered business. 

You can submit your commercial documents online to the chamber of commerce located in the area where business was registered. However, in some cases you can attest your commercial documents from other branches of the chamber such as New Delhi. 

  1. MEA Attestation

After receiving the attestation from the Chamber of commerce, your apostille service provider will submit your documents to the ministry of external affairs. The MEA will make a final verification of the documents. Finally, MEA pastes an apostille stamp/certificate which will make your commercial document legal in Latvia.

Apostille for Latvia- Translation Requirements

Latvian is the only official language of Latvia. Whereas, MEA India provides apostille in English. Thus you may need to get an apostille for use in Latvia in the following situations: 

  • For Latvian immigration office to process your work visa you need to submit the documents such as your birth certificate and PCC translated into Latvian.
  • For dependent visa applications you need to submit your personal documents apostille with a translation.
  • If you are applying for Latvian citizenship, you need to submit all the required document apostille with a Latvian translation.
  • For other educational and employment application processes, English language may be accepted unless your employer mandates Latvian translation. 
  • Most of the business related documents require a Latvian translation.

In essence, when you engage with private entities in Latvia apostille in English is enough. However, when you need to submit a document to a government department in Latvia it needs to be translated into Latvian.

Documents Required for Applying Latvia Apostille

The documents you need to submit when you apply for a document apostille for Latvia are: 

  • Original document(s) that need to be apostilled
  • Photocopy of Passport

Apostille for Latvia- Processing Time

The time taken to obtain an apostille may vary depending on the following factors:

  • Type of Document
  • Method of Authentication (State/SDM/Chamber of commerce)
  • Type of Service (Slow, standard, tatkal)
  • The state of issuance in case of State authentication method.

State department verification is a time consuming process which may take up to 30 days. Thus time to get an apostille for documents with state authentication is generally from 7 days to 30 days. 

With SDM and chamber of commerce attestation, you can get your document apostille within 3 days to 14 days.

Confused about the MEA apostille process? Getting an apostille for Latvia from the Ministry of External affairs will become easier with the guidance of a trustworthy apostille service provider.  Contact Apostille Service Center to learn more. 

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Frequently asked questions

Yes. The Republic of Latvia joined the Hague Apostille convention on  May 11, 1995 which abolished the requirement for legalization of foreign documents. Thus an apostille stamp on your documents from MEA India will legalize your Indian issued documents in Latvia.

The cost of getting an apostille attestation for Latvia from MEA India may vary depending on the following factors:

  • Type of Document
  • Number of Documents
  • Method of Verification
  • Mode of Delivery (Standard, Slow, Tatkal)
  • State of Issuance in case of state attestation method
  • Additional services such as courier and translation 

No. Latvia is a member of the Hague Apostille convention. Thus an apostille stamp obtained from the ministry of external affairs India is sufficient to legalize your personal, educational and commercial documents in Latvia.

  • Marriage certificate Apostille
  • Birth certificate
  • PCC Apostille